Weft carrier guide

ABSTRACT

A weft carrier guide for the inserting carrier of a shuttleless loom of the gripper type for guiding the carrier to and to prevent its rising above its weft pick up position when caused to move toward the warp shed into which it is adapted to carry the weft.

United States Patent Budzyna Dec. 18, 1973 WEFT CARRIER GUIDE 3,678,968 7/1972 Juillard 139/127 R 5] Inventor: Edward S. udzyna, East Douglas, 3,339,591 9/1967 Urquhart 139/193 Mass.

[73] v Assignee: Rockwell International Corporation, Primary ExaminerHenry S. Jaudon Pittsburgh, Pa. Atl0rney.lohn R. Bronaugh et a1.

[22] Filed: June 14, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 262,515

[57] ABSTRACT [52] US. Cl 139/122 R [51] Int. Cl 003d 47/12 A ef c rrier guide for the inserting carrier of a shut- [58] Field of Search 139/122 R, 127 R, tlel S 00m 0f the gripper type for guiding the carrier 139/193 to and to prevent its rising above its weft pick up position when caused to move toward the warp shed into [5 6] References Cited which it is adapted to carry the weft.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Ravella 139/127 R 3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures WEFT CARRIER GUIDE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In shuttleless looms which utilize weft yarn that is furnished from an outside source and is not carried to and fro through the shed by the shuttle or carrier itself, it is common practice to insert each pick of weft by two reciprocating elements. That element which introduces the weft into the warp shed is known as the inserting carrier and that which receives or has transferred to it the introduced weft to be drawn through the remainder of the shed is known as the weft receiving or extending carrier.

The shuttleless loom to which the present invention is applicable is of the single pick insertion type wherein the weft yarn, when drawn from a single source, extends through an eyelet in the rear wall of the inserting carrier and remains threaded therethrough during the performance of said carriers intended function. When forming single picks with weft from more than one source of supply a weft yarn selection device such as disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 258,554 filed June 1, 1972 may be utilized. For purpose of brevity, the present invention is shown as being applied to a loom which draws its weft from a single source of supply.

To form single picks, the weft yarn must be clamped, held then cut adjacent to shed after the inserting carrier is withdrawn. In preparation for the following pick the weft yarn must be positioned in such a manner as to be caught by a clamping element in the forward wall of the inserting carrier prior to the latters entrance into the shed. The clamped yarn is then released and that portion extending between the front and rear walls of the inserting carrier is properly positioned for positive transfer to the extending carrier.

As is well known to those familiar with shuttleless weaving the carriers of the type of loom to which the instant invention is applicable are fixed on the free ends of flexible tapes which are caused to be wrapped about and extended from oscillatable tape wheels disposed on each side of the loom.

The location for the positioning of the weft yarn for pick up and insertion into the shed by the inserting carrier is one which is a gauged setting and being closely maintained it permits very limited deviation by said inserting carrier from its intended path of travel during its initial movement to engage said weft.

A problem which has existed with shuttleless looms of the single pick insertion type is that of the inserting carrier rising during its initial movement toward the shed a distance sufficient for the clamping element disposed in the forward wall of said carrier to fail to catch and hold the weft. This of course would permit the carriers to enter the shed and be withdrawn therefrom without inserting a length of weft yarn. The loom would automatically stop for lack of weft and the condition would have to be corrected in order to resume normal weaving.

The undesired rising of an inserting carrier described above can be attributed in part to the operating clearance provided by the tape guide operatively associated with each tape wheel as said carrier and tape are projected from and drawn into said tape guide during the performance of their intended functions. Coupled with the clearance in the tape guide, the sudden acceleration of the tape wheel has a natural tendency to move the carrier upwardly during the initial unwrapping of its tape from said tape wheel.

The weft carrier guide according to the present invention has corrected the problem of an inserting carrier rising during its initial movement toward the shed by providing a means operatively associated with the tape guide for maintaining the carrier within predetermined allowable limits of its intended horizontal path of travel.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The weft carrier guide for shuttleless looms of the present invention functions in cooperation with the tape guide which directs the tape and its carrier in a generally horizontal path during their insertion and withdrawal from the warp shed. This guide includes an inverted and elongated U shaped body portion which is adjustably mounted directly above the tape guide. An elongated shoe member fabricated from a heat and wear resistant material assembles within the body portion and includes a biasing means for continuously urging it downwardly to a position in close proximity with the carrier when the latter is within the confines of the tape guide. The body portion and its shoe member overlie the tape guide for a greater portion of its length and extend beyond the end of the latter to a position which offers clearance for the looms reed as it moves to and fro in a well known manner. The shoe member being biased in a downwardly direction does not permit the inserting carrier to rise above the position where it engages the weft yarn and positions it for transfer to the extending carrier.

It is a general object of the invention to provide an improved means for guiding the weft inserting carrier to that position for receiving the weft yarn to be introduced into the warp shed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a shuttleless loom showing the weft carrier guide according to the invention applied thereto;

FIG. 2 is a view in front elevation of the weft carrier guide in FIG. 1 showing its relationship to the inserting carrier and tape guide;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the weft carrier guide shown in FIG. 2, and

FIG. 4 is an end view of the device shown in FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 only those parts of a shuttleless loom have been shown which are required for a complete understanding of the invention. In FIGS. 1, 2 and 4 the weft inserting carrier is shown at 10 and is fixed to the end of a flexible tape 11 which in a known manner is caused to be wrapped about and extended from and oscillatable tape wheel (not shown) carried within a housing 12 disposed at the side of the loom.

A tape guide 13 as shown in FIG. 1 is supported adjacent one end by any suitable means not shown to one of the frame members of the loom or a so-called loomside 14. The opposite end of this tape guide is operatively associated with the tape wheel housing 12 and is adapted to direct the tape and its carrier in a generally horizontal path of travel during the performance of its intended function.

The weft carrier guide comprising the invention which will be more fully described hereinafter, is identified generally by numeral 15 and is disposed above and in alignment with the tape guide 13.

The usual form of reed 16 is carried on a reciprocating lay beam 17 and serves to beat each inserted length of weft into the fell to form fabric which is held at its so-called reeded width by temples 18 (one only shown in FIG. 1). As shown in FIG. 1 warp yarns 19 extend rearwardly through dents 20 of the reed 16 to a conventional harness arrangement (not shown) that is effective in shedding sheets of said warp threads to form a shed opening 21 into which the carrier 10 is projected and withdrawn in a manner well known to those conversant with the art.

The weft carrier guide 15 according to the invention includes an elongated generally U shaped body portion having opposed side walls 22 and 23 which are attached to and depend from the sides of an elongated bar member 24 of a length equal to that of said side walls. This body member is supported directly above the tape guide 13 by an L shaped support bracket 25 the latter of which is attached to the rearward side of the tape guide 13 by means of screws 26 (FIGS. 2 and 4). The support bracket 25 extends upwardly from the tape guide 13 for a portion of its length and then forwardly above said tape guide. The body portion of the weft carrier guide is carried on the underside of the top surface of the support bracket 25 by means of screws 27 which pass through slots 28 in said top surface with their threaded portions assembled in aligned threaded holes 29 (FIG. 2) provided in the bar member 24. Slots 28 in the top surface of the support bracket 25 provide a means for lateral adjustment of the weft carrier guides body portion whereby a desired alignment with the weft carrier when entering and leaving the tape guide can be obtained.

The combination of the bar member 24 and its depending side walls 22 and 23 together form an elongated recess 30 (FIG. 4) within which an elongated shoe member 31 is carried and which protrudes from the lower side of the body portion. As shown in FIG. 2, the ends of the shoe member 31 are of reduced thickness and define stepped portions 32 and 33 which are adapted to engage pins 34 and 35 respectively which provides the means for supporting the shoe member within the recess 30. Pins 34 and 35 traverse the distance between the side walls 22 and 23 with their ends being fixed in aligned holes formed in the lower portion of the ends of said side walls.

Within the recess 30 to the bar member 24 is provided with a pair of spaced pockets 36 and 37 (FIG. 2)

within which compression type coil springs 38 and 39 respectively are seated and extending in a downwardly direction their lower ends are disposed in close proximity with the upper surface of the shoe member 31. The lower surface of the shoe member 31 is adopted to be engaged by the inserting carrier in the event said carrier should rise above its intended path of travel and is tapered adjacent each end as at 40 and 41 (FIGS. 1 and 2) to prevent obstructing interference as said carrier enters and leaves the tape guide 13.

To summarize the operation the weft inserting carrier enters a warp shed and is caused to meet the extending carrier at a point near the center thereof where the weft yarn introduced by said inserting carrier is transferred in a known manner to said extending carrier which draws it through the remainder of the shed to complete a single pick. The shoe member 31 being disposed in close proximity with the inserting carrier when the latter is within the confines of the tape guide is effective by means of springs 38 and 39 in preventing said carrier from rising above an allowable amount as it is caused to leave said tape guide. The shoe member extends beyond the inner end of the tape guide and is effective in maintaining the carrier within its intended path of travel which assures positive engagement and pick up of the weft yarn thereby.

Additionally the shoe member serves to bring the carrier into alignment with the tape guide as it is withdrawn from the shed and reduces substantially the normal amount of flexing of the tape during this portion of the weaving cycle.

Although the present invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment it is to be understood that modifications and variations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as those skilled in the art will readily understand. Such modifications and variations are considered to be within the purview and scope of the invention and the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a shuttleless loom of the type including a stationary weft supply a flexible tape attached at one end to a tape wheel capable of moving the tape through a tape guide operatively associated therewith into and out of the warp shed, and a weft carrier attached to the other end of the flexible tape to engage the weft yarn and carry it into the warp shed, an improved carrier guide means comprising an elongated main guide body disposed in overlying relation to the tape guide, and biasing means carried by said main guide body for engagement with the carrier for directing it to its weft engaging position during movement toward the shed and into alignment with the tape guide after leaving the shed.

2. The mechansim according to claim 1 wherein said main guide body includes three surfaces which together form an elongated recess into which said biasing means is compressible.

3. The mechanism according to claim 2 wherein said biasing means includes a spring influenced elongated shoe member supported within said main guide body. II 4 

1. In combination with a shuttleless loom of the type including a stationary weft supply a flexible tape attached at one end to a tape wheel capable of moving the tape through a tape guide operatively associated therewith into and out of the warp shed, and a weft carrier attached to the other end of the flexible tape to engage the weft yarn and carry it into the warp shed, an improved carrier guide means comprising an elongated main guide body disposed in overlying relation to the tape guide, and biasing means carried by said main guide body for engagement with the carrier for directing it to its weft engaging position during movement toward the shed and into alignment with the tape guide after leaving the shed.
 2. The mechansim according to claim 1 wherein said main guide body includes three surfaces which together form an elongated recess into which said biasing means is compressible.
 3. The mechanism according to claim 2 wherein said biasing means includes a spring influenced elongated shoe member supported within said main guide body. 